About - Opstina Sveti Nikole

History and significant parts of the Municipality of Sveti Nikole

Church Saint Nikolas, Saint Nikole
This church was built on the foundations of the old church. The foundations were consecrated on October 25, 1983 by the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, His Holiness Angelarij. The temple was consecrated on October 14, 1990 by the Metropolitan of Bregalnica, His Holiness Stefan. Read more

Geographical location

The territory of the Municipality of Sveti Nikole is identified with the famous area “Ovche Pole”, that is, it occupies the largest area of this field which belongs to the basin of the Svetinikolska river or “Azmak”, a right tributary of the Bregalnica. As the central part of Ovche Pole, the municipality borders several municipalities: Probishtip, Kratovo, Kumanovo, Petrovec, Veles, Lozovo, Shtip and Karbinci. The Ovche Pole valley is specific in its occurrence and morphological structure. It is not completely flat in its entire surface, therefore its altitude is 200 to 400 meters. The highest altitude is not more than 900 meters. The highest places are: Gradishte near Gjurishte 861 m, Vrv – northwest of the village of Pavleshencii 789, Venec – northwest of the village of Trstenik 762, Sveti Jovanski rid near the village of Bogoslovec 755, Mangovica – between the village of Gorno Gjudjanci and the village of Makresh 741, Golem osoj – between the village of Makresh and the village of Orel 734, Celebinsko trlo – northeast of the village of Patetino 731, Kamene Strage – the intersection between the village of Makresh and the village of Ranchenci and the village of Nemanjici and the village of Patetino 717, etc.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census, 5698 households and 7157 apartments were recorded on the territory of the municipality of Sveti Nikole. In comparison, according to the 2021 census, 5120 households and 6812 apartments were recorded on the territory of the municipality of Sveti Nikole According to the 2021 census, the total population of the municipality of Sveti Nikole of 15320 inhabitants is settled in 33 settlements. The following data reflect the demographic characteristics of the municipality of Sveti Nikole, obtained from the 2021 Census.

Agriculture in Saint Nikole

Agriculture – development and resources

Ovchepoli is a well-known agricultural and livestock region. The people of this region were engaged in agriculture, because the region is rich in soil of several classes, with a special intrinsic value-quality, a large number of sunny days and an irrigation system. This meets the conditions for growing grain, industrial and horticultural crops. The economic importance of agriculture can be seen from its 38.8% share in the structure of the social product in the municipality, which is a strategic factor for the development of the overall economic life.

History of Saint Nikole

Sveti Nikole as a settlement dates back to the ancient period, and in the city itself artifacts have been found even from the distant Neolithic. Originally the settlement was located northeast of the present-day church “St. Stefan”, but due to the marshy land and unsuitable living conditions, towards the end of the 3rd century BC the settlement was relocated to the right side of the present-day Svetinikolska River, in the localities: Rudina, Sveti Spas and present-day Recko maalo in the city. Most likely the old name of the settlement was Probaton, which around the seventh century was changed to Ovche Pole. In medieval written sources, Ovche Pole is mentioned as a settlement (with a fortress in it) and as a district in the 13th century. In 1246, the Nicaean army, among other places in Macedonia, captured Ovche Pole. In the centuries that followed, as in the previous ones, many rulers changed power over this vast Macedonian valley.

The Economy of Saint Nikole

In the municipality of Sveti Nikole, the most developed economic activities are: the food industry, the textile industry, trade, service activities, agriculture and livestock breeding.